Submarine mine



E. ELIA SUBMARINE MINE Filed Feb. 2, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NW. 11, 19240 Y 1,515,194 G. E. ELIA SUBMARINE MINE Filed Feb. 2, 1924 2 shammsmez 2 Patented Nov. 11, 1924.

warren stares earner OFFICE.

GIOVANNI EIVIANUELE ELIA, OF W ES'IIVIINSTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO VICKERS LIIVIITED, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY.

SUBNIARINE MINE.

Application filed February 2, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GIoVANNI EMANUELE Erma, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Vickers House, Broadway, Westminster, in the county of London, England,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Submarine Mines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to submarine mines of the kind in which the separation of the flotation chamber from the anchor is adapted to take place at or near the sea bed or to mines of other types which are to be anchored in comparatively deep water.

When a submarine mine is to be anchored in deep Water, the flotation chamber, after it is launched and before it separates from the anchor, may be subjected to such a high de gree of pressure as will rupture or crush the buoyancy compartment of the flotation chamber, as, in order to reduce the weight of the flotation chamber it is usually constructed from comparatively thin metal which, in the case of a standard construction of mine, is only capable of withstanding the hydrostatic pressure prevailing at depths of less than about 300 feet, and it is the object of the present invention to enable mines of this kind to be anchored safely in deep water, without increasing the thickness of the metal and consequently the dimensions of the flotation chamber.

In the case of mines provided with a plummet for depth regulating purposes, the flotation chamber, the anchor and the plummet have been connected together so as to constitute a single launching unit and means such as a hydrostat have been provided for releasing the parts of the mine from one an other at a short distance below the surface, the flotation chamber ascending to the surface and the parts of the mine thereafter positioning in the usual manner.

According to the present invention means are provided for releasing the flotation chamber from the anchor, when the complete mine, after launching, and during its descent to the sea bed, reaches a depth above that at which rupture of the flotation chamher is liable to take place, the mooring cable being permitted to pay out and the anchor to separate from the flotation chamber, the

Serial No. 690,217.

latter remaining substantially stationary at approximately the said depth, until the anchor reaches the sea bed. The flotation chamber is thereby kept above the depth for which the resistance of the flotation chamber has been calculated, while the anchor descends alone to the sea bed, the subsequent operations of anchoring the flotation chamber at the desired depth beneath the surface being carried out in any convenient manner. To this end hydrostatically controlled means may be provided which, on the flota-' tion chamber reaching the depth for Which the hydrostat has been set, and above that at Which the flotation chamber is liablevto be damaged, are adapted to release the flotation chamber from the sinker andallow the mooring cable to pay out at a speed corresponding to that at which the anchor descends to the sea bed whilst the flotation chamber remains substantially stationary, that is, the braking means maintain a tension in the mooring cable equal to or slightly less than the buoyancy of the flotation chamber.

A time releasing device, as hereinafter described, may also be fitted to provide for cases where the mine is launched in Water of a less depth than the safe limit for the flotation chamber.

After the anchor reaches the sea bed the brake resistance may be reduced to such an extent as to enable the flotation chamber to ascend at a suitable speed by the lifting effect of its buoyancy, the paying out of the mooring cable being finally stopped and the mooring cable drum locked in any suitable known manner, for example by the method described in English Patent No. 163,339, or as described in the companys copending United States application Serial No. 690,856.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into efl ect the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a sectional end elevation of the sinker and part of the flotation chamber of a submarine mine constructed according to one form of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the sinker shown at Figure l and other form of sinker 5 of hydrostat for :ehamber from; the sinker 5 3 Figures 5 and '6 are I a sectionand an end Viewrespectively of compound time and hydrostatic release for the. tiotat-imi chamber'andan chon ure :1) is the notation fchambe and:

' i 'isheld rigidly;

I B is the sinker oaths si 1 means states a safe depth of flotation chamhe :drostiedevilce f separat f romthe sinker: w

" Figure 4.- the device oom 'bris in a h I i. H

' I flotation chamber i The diaphragm; p through} passages p jfio thehyarostatie ipressure and i it iis connectedto a spindle- 3 2 j I nin dle is; I

i the Figure sis a deta leasing f ulterlan nchi Y T by a hydrostatic release E w fig the mine; I I ien the: combinaended to sate depth 2 or i one P: and two links 1B, :3 which 1 res'pe eat- 1;

I and to the si-nlrerf :13. t the; hydrostat l is v open,

the

in the-link fhef halls 8 8 of a ball balls, in the position. of the parts shown at Figure 4:, rigidly holding together the hydrostat P and the link lVhen a safe depth o't submersion for the mine has been reached, the water pressure, acting on the diaphragm p overcomes the spring 22 and draws down the spindle p and the plunger at its upper end until the balls 8 are free to move into the recess '2" and thus to release the casing of the hycrostat from the link ll, whereupon. the flotation chamber PL is free to separate from the anchor B'. The mine, however, may be released by both a'hydrostatic release and also by a time release, which latter may be operated by a dashpot or a soluble plug. A suitable arrangement of a compound release where the time release is constituted by a dashpot deviccfis shown at Figures 5 and 6, and comprises a depending bolt l l which is connected to the mine casing and on which a rocking lever m is pivotally mounted. T 1e ends otthe rocking lever m are recessed as shown and, supported on knife edges formed within openings in a pair of tabular members O, O are a hydrostatic releasing device K and a time releasing device N, these devices being secured to the members 9 and by ball releasing devices. The devices K and Nare provided with lugs 0, at their lower ends and on the mine casing is a promire" 13% is; asectional elevation of airview of a'suitable torm 2 elevation:

: dev

I par z'rnuni a U- l I fer-red: thro U the; lower chamber 7? releasing device; the the The operation of the jejction' Q l303;' '\:l1:l'6,l1. the: releasing :devices are; .I .securedlhy'holts I hydrostatic release; .111 is similar; to that; of the hydrostat P al I I ready described zabp'eg-hut; in :l iIen oii releasr j ing. the link- It: the balls 3-, s. are adapted to i Z I re-lease:themember- 0.; filhetime; releasing;

comprlses a cylinder divided into-two- I I 1 I I 1 I n by: ap'artition'n which latter isprov ded fiwith a; Gen trolled by a non-return valve 7R4;

. .oneanos opera; la the; upper, chamber a i ed at the'to p the cha iber 5n;

der bya; spring 1th afimd on: 1s: a red at l to the locks piston 7 this ar angen I and ;on lanngchegch the; :hyd osta; vater;will o-vercome ance of; the spr .2 nf 3" ndgradually the piston the bottom of; "nder'th i5 .ve being fow eat .a .d the fluid ibillg grat ia'll h. arts s such t'h der through the ball Valve 71 into the lower part n of the cylinder is equivalent to the time taken to totally pay out the maximum length of mooring cable carried on the mooring cable drum so that the release of the flotation chamber by means of the time re lease N cannot take place before actuation of the hydrostatic release K. In view of this arrangement it will be clear that on either of the devices K or. N being operated one or other of the ball releasing devices will release either the member 0 or the member O 611 such release taking place the hydrostat K or the time release N will fall away from either the member 0 or O and owing to the pull exerted by the other devices on the opposite end of the rocking lever m, the latter will oscillate about its fulcrum and allow the other device to fall away from the knife edges on which it is sup-ported. Consequently both devices will fall substantially simultaneously clear of the flotation chamber A thus allowing it to separate from the anchor B.

The flotation chamber may also be re leased independently of any such special releasing means, but by using a compound A The open-j 11gn ,-as: an onemn 7 plan he up- R1522) trtso fi thec I I the, openings at" and: a" :into i 7 :Qllhe top: of the: chain-1 I v I in commnn caj I aiding n ter hyocpenmgs I I chamber, will operate to release the flotation chamber from the sinker and prevent it from descending below the said depth, while, in cases where the mine is launched in water of a less depth than this safe limit, the time release is automatically brought into operation, after a predetermined interval of time.

After the mine is released from the anchor the mooring rope B is paid out from the mooring rope drum C under the control of the gear pump brake D driven from the drum C by a wheel E and pinion F. The resistance of the brake caused by the resistance otthe flow of oil from the delivery to the suction side through the passage (Z is adjusted by a screw down valve (Z so that the braking resistance on the mooring rope corresponding to the speed of descent of the anchor is approximately equal to or slightly less than the buoyancy ot the mine; consequently the mine remains approximately at, or rises very slowly above, the depth of sate immersion of the flotation chamber. A second connection between the delivery and suction of the pump brake is provided by means of a pipe (Z which, during the descent of the anchor is totally blocked by a plunger d until after the sinker has reached the sea bed. Hydrostatic pressure entering through holes 6 acts on the underside of a piston (Z and pushes up the piston and the plunger 6Z4 to which it is connected, thereby forcing the fluid, such as oil, which is in the chamber 9 through the small hole h and past the spring loaded ball valve 7' into the air chamber 70. The size of the hole is such that the hydrostatic pressure can push the piston right up in a period of time somewhat longer than the time taken for the sinker to reach the sea bed when launched in a depth of water corresponding to the paying out of the maximum length of mooring rope carried on the mooring rope drum. lVhen the plunger 7" has been pushed to the top of its cylinder, an annular passage (Z formed by a reduced portion of the plunger (Z opens the passage through the pipe connection (Z3 and so reduces the brake resistance of the pump that the mine can rise at the usual speed until it reaches the set depth of immersion, whereupon the mooring rope drum is locked by any known means such as that described in Patent No. 163,339 or as described in copending application No. 30,568 of 1922.

in alternative arrangement of brakes is shown at Figure 3. In this instance two separate oil pump brakes G and H are fitted. lVhilst the anchor is descending the mooring rope drum C drives both brakes by means of toothed wheels E, E which engage with the pinion F, F of the brakes H and The total resistance of the two brakes together is equal to that necessary to keep the mine at approximately constant depth. After the sinker reaches the sea bed the time dashpot release J of similar construction to that previously described completely withdraws the plunger M? from engagement with the toothed wheel E which is loosely mounted on the mooring rope drum. The brake G is thus entirely disengaged and the mooring rope is paid out subject only to the resistance of the brake H which is such as to allow the mine to ascend at a suitable speed.

in lieu of either of the aforesaid arrangements any other type of frictional or fluid resistance brake may be used and the releasing plunger M may, if desired, be oper-v ated under the control of a soluble plug, by a simple hydrostat, or by other means suit.- able to effect release of the second brake after the sinker reaches the sea bed.

WVhat I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the United States is 1. A submarine mine comprising a flotation chamber, a sinker, a mooring rope connecting said flotation chamber to said sinker, means for releasing the flotation chamber from the sinker when the mine reaches a depth above that at which rupture of the flotation chamber is liable to take lace, and means for allowing the mooring ca le to unwind at a speed corresponding substantially to that at which the sinker descends to the sea bed, whereby the flotation chamber remains substantially stationary at the said depth until the sinker reaches the sea bed.

2. A submarine mine comprising a flotation chamber, a sinker, a mooring rope connecting said flotation chamber to said sinker, means for releasing the flotation chamber from the sinker when the mine reaches a depth above that at which rupture of the flotation chamber is liable to take place, and braking means which maintain a tension in the mooring cable equal to or slightly less than the buoyancy of the flotation chamber whereby the mooring cable is allowed to unwind at a speed corresponding substantially to that at which the anchor descends to the sea bed so that the flotation chamber remains substantially stationary at the said depth until the sinker reaches the sea bed.

3. A submarine mine comprising a flotation chamber, a sinker, a mooring rope connecting said flotation chamber to said sinker, means for releasing the flotation chamber from the sinker when the mine reaches a depth above that at which rupture of the flotation chamber is liable to take place, braking means which apply such a brake resistance that the mooring cable is allowed to unwind at a speed corresponding substantially to that at which the sinker descends to the sea bed, and means by which the brake resistance, on the sinker reaching the sea bed, is reduced to such an extent as to enable the flotation chamber to ascend at a suitable speed by the lifting effect of its buoyancy.

4:. A submarine mine comprising a fiotation chamber, a sinker a mooring rope conflotation chamber is liable to take place,

braking means which apply such a brake re sistance that the mooring cable is allowed to unwind at a speed corresponding substantially to that at which the sinker descends to the sea bed means by which the brake resistance on the sinker reaching the sea bed is reduced to such an extent as to enable the flotation chamber to ascend at a suitable speed by the lifting effect of its buoyancy and means for stopping the unwinding of the mooring cable when the flotation chamber has reached the depth at which it is to be finally anchored.

5. A submarine mine comprising a flotation chamber, a sinker, a drum within said sinker, a mooring rope connecting said flotation chamber to said sinker, hydr0statically controlled means for releasing the flotation chamber from the sinker on the mine reaching a depth above that at which the flotation chamber is liable to be damaged, and time operated means for releasing the flotation chamber from the sinker at a predetermined interral after launching in cases where the mine is launched in water of a less depth than the safe limit for which the hydrostatically controlled means have been set.

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA. 

